My semester at LAFSC in Los Angeles, California!

So I couldn’t fit this all into one facebook status so I decided to write a blog post which I have not gotten to in over a month (whoops!)

So my roommates and I went to Warner Brothers to see a taping of a new pilot called Ground Floor. I knew Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect-one of my favorite movies in a LONG time) and John C. McGinley (Scrubs-one of my newest favorite shows) were in it. I knew nothing else. We got there and were literally some of the last people to get into the show. We were on the far right side of about 200 people. In front of us was the set. There were 6 different sets. Far left: balcony of John McGinley’s character, Mr. Mansfield who was the boss, then his office. Then the lobby of their workplace. Then the ground floor workroom, then an alley, then a bar/nightclub. The sitting room for the taping only extended to the ground floor workroom so to our left was about 50 people in chairs, probably agents, producers, etc. The warm up guy was hilarious and interacted with the audience. They shot the first scene in the bar.

Here’s the best part

I happened to look over to my right and who do I see? ZACH FRICKEN BRAFF!! The star of Scrubs, the man who raised $2 million dollars on Kickstarter in 3 days. He was sitting in the same LA Dodgers hat I had on with his girlfriend. I was so excited. The warm up guy was talking to the audience and I realized this show was created by Bill Lawrence, who created Scrubs. He came to talk to us a few times so we could ask questions. He seemed like the nicest down to earth guy EVER. I was watching the show but I kept looking over to Zach to see what he was doing. I saw him talking to someone and I was like OMG! That’s the girl who played Jordan on Scrubs! She gave Zach a hug and I was like I’m in a Scrubs lovers-heaven! First Bill Lawrence, then John C. McGinley, then Zach Braff and finally (as I later found out her name and that she is married to Bill Lawrence) Christa Miller. That’s not all. Zach later was introduced and he answered a few questions. It was so cool.

Back to the show. Skylar Astin is the main star and is the star of Pitch Perfect. I found out that Alexis Knapp from the movie is also on this show. (In real life, she had a baby with Reese Witherspoon’s ex-husband Ryan Phillippe). She is freakishly skinny. I hope Pitch Perfect fans watch this show. It started off a but boring and raunchy but I think it got funnier as it went on and think it could become a hit with time. So then I was like wow, Pitch Perfect and Scrubs together-what else could make this night great?

Oh yeah, Anna Camp! Anna played the vomiter mean girl in Pitch Perfect and my roommate pointed her out in the front row, just 20 feet from us. She was there to watch Skylar (and probably Alexis) in the pilot (Since the MTV movie awards, I thought they were dating but she is married…) He came up and talked to her during breaks and resets. The announcer didn’t realize it was her until near the end. My roommates left early but I stayed and ended up getting moved to the front row-like 5 seats away from her! I could see the acting a lot better and Skylar had a kissing scene in front of me!

LA itself
There are no left turn lanes. You go on yellow and usually 2-3 cars go.
99 cent stores=dollar stores
It’s rare to find free parking, especially at malls/stores. However, sometimes they can be validated if you buy something.
Celebrities don’t hang out on Hollywood Boulevard. It is all tourists and a little trashy.
Hollywood Premieres happen almost everyday at the Chinese theater but usually it is just B-D listers and you can’t really get a good shot from across the street.
Everything is cheaper at Kmart.
California puts labels on everything saying it is dangerous and could harm an unborn child. Oh and smog is a problem.
No flashing lights for cops-I see them every time I drive
Use Store Cards, at Ralphs and Rite Aid, they save you a lot of money.
Parking tickets happen…alot
The best beaches are in Malibu but you can’t swim 85% of the year
People hate any type of cold and rain and are scared of it.
This place is very culturally diverse, a majority are Asian, then Hispanic, then black and then other groups. There are neighborhoods like Little Ethopia, Koreatown, etc..
There are very few churches and traffic is usually dead Sunday Mornings
Paparazzi aren’t everywhere-only place I’ve seen them is at a movie premiere and a taping of Extra at the Grove
People are nicer than I thought but not over the top like back home.
Frozen yogurt everywhere!

Film
Learned how to use Premiere and how to color correct, learned about dewolfe music library, have learned about different kinds of cameras, how much of the technology is used, too much to even put into words
-Learned about all the Guilds and all the work that goes into production design and location scouting.

So again I’ve been SUPER busy. Since I last wrote, I have done another short film, entitled Blue Skies, which is in post-production and will be finished on Thursday. It was alot of pre=production work and hard to find places to shoot for free. I’m the editor on our big film production so I’ve had classes for that. We’ve done a lot of viewing and critiquing films, for example Argo to teach us how films should be edited.

My internship has been busy-working on archives and moving boxes and stuff to a storage unit. I really like it there. AJ Michalka and Danny Trejo have recorded at Kappa and I have seen them.

Other highlights:

Seeing all sorts of churches, including:Ecclesia HollywoodReality LAMosaicOasisHollywood MethodistFirst BaptistMy favorite is Oasis and it is within walking distance.

I went to the beach in Malibu, Zuma with a bunch of the group and it was super fun. We played volleyball and hung out However, I got really sunburnt and got a parking ticket 😦

We had an Oscar Party and it was very fun. I got to see the craziness when we were at a church a block from it.

Pro and Con list about LA: I’ve had time to think and compare MN to LA and here is a quicklist

Pro: Warm WeatherCon: No open spaces, naturePro: Diverse people from all over, many creative peopleCon: Too many people, overwhelmingPro: Ocean, beaches and outdoor poolCon: No LakesPro:The Grove Mall and other outdoor mallsCon: Terrible drivers, long commutes and traffic, paying for parking

I’ll try to write a more meaningful post that is more reflective once things “settle down”.

So I haven’t written in a while. I feel like I should just list off things I’ve done/experienced instead of going day-by-day.

I work at Kappa Studios

Gilbert Gottfried, iJustine and DaneBoe coming into Kappa as well as a kid from the Make-A-Wish foundation who I recognized from Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I looked him up and found he was from Fargo-Moorhead area, just like Dane, the creator of the Annoying Orange.

For class we filmed our narrative storytelling short film. Mine was about Zombies. I realized that I had never done anything like it before back at Bethel. I’m learning so much about a lot of different things-very exciting.

I really enjoy living in LA because of the warm weather, lots of people that are interesting and interested in films like me and lots of things to explore. Part of me misses the uniqueness of MN and things like easier driving, free parking (everywhere!) and just the MN pride. I don’t miss the cold at all whatsoever. So right now Im excited to spend a few more months here. I don’t know what my plans are for the summer but I probably will come home and find an internship.

Hey y’all! I haven’t updated in while. Let’s hope that I can remember it all!

So the first week of LAFSC was mostly just learning about the program and the apartments. Then we started classes. I really enjoyed learning about story and character. We’ve learned a lot about the system of Hollywood. We read and have already written a script.

Wednesday we went to Chinatown to see a viewing of a LAFSC alum’s film, I Am Not A Hipster at the Downtown Independent. First we went to Chinatown to Yang Chow, which apparently is pretty famous and many TV shows and Movies have after parties here. About 45 of us went and we sat in a sideroom. I shared the orange chicken with my roommate Kelley and they ordered the “slippery shrimp”-I tried it and it was pretty good. Then the biggest surprise and one of the coolest things that has happened to me so far happened. Our teacher John told us that when he came in, he saw an A-list celebrity male who he knew from a former project. He told him what he was there for and the guy decided to pay for our entire meal! Crazy and so amazing. He wanted to be anonymous but many believe it was Hugh Jackman. Then we went and walked around Chinatown. We saw the seen from the movie Chinatown that we watched for class.

The next day I went to this awesome Harry Potter store across from our school. That night we had a speaker named Sandra Lord. I learned a lot and am going to take a class from her. Friday we had a group expectations paper due and met with a group and went to lunch at Fiddler’s diner, which has amazing pancakes and hot chocolate.

Saturday we took a tour of the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars are held. It was amazing. I took a photo of Julie Andrews hand prints that I recreated from 10 years ago. Then I went to Chic-Fil-A for the first time! Yum! Then we went to the pool-it’s heated and saltwater!

On Sunday, I went to a church in Hollywood called Ecclesia. It was really cool. Then two of my roommates went to Santa Monica pier.

This week has been mostly classes. I got an internship at Kappa Studios in Burbank and today is my first day. This studio does post-production for the show The Amazing Orange and Oh Sit! and a christian movie called Grace Unplugged. Yesterday, I saw ijustine recording for the Amazing Orange.

We’ve had some movie parties, I watched the Brothers Bloom and The Social Network. I’ve gone shopping at the Grove and in Hollywood. Hollywood is kind of trashy. People walk around in costumes but you have to give them money for pics. We went to the premiere of Movie 43 but only D-listers showed up. Fail. The movie looked really dumb and inappropriate.

Anyways I’ve gotten better at driving around and I really feel like I know how to go places. I really enjoy the warm weather! Have a great week!

I have learned so much about the LA culture and random tidbits (which I always enjoy having and sharing). For example, did you know that TMZ means thirty mile zone, or the LA area where many in the industry work?

So on Friday morning, we went to the Warner Brothers Studio tour. It was amazing. We got there early and looked around the gift shop. So cool. Harry Potter, PLL, Gilmore Girls, Friends, Big Bang Theory, etc.. themed gifts. I got a PLL coffee cup, a Central Perk mug and a replica of the friends yellow photo frame. We watched a 7 minute movie about the history of Warner Brothers and then hopped on the tour bus. There were 8 of us, 2 were from Brazil and one was from Norway. So we learned a lot of interesting facts. First, there is a jungle at the studios that is the only left in Hollywood. PLL films there (we saw A’s lair! and Ali and Jason’s house). Apparently, the lot was overrun with rats so one of the Warners brought lots of cats and their descendants still live there! Apparently the Warner Brothers water tower used to work but it broke during an earthquake. Argo was filmed in a large parking lot and they had to bring in 70s cars. The studio has its own zip code and its own fire department. Then we got to see the gallery of cars. My favorite was from Harry Potter 🙂

Then we went to the Friends set, Central Perk. So unreal

Then we went to the prop closet. We saw the Resolute desk from National Treasure 2. And a crystal lantern worth $10 mil. We also saw the set of the Mentalist. The best part, and the part I couldn’t photograph, was the costumes. First floor-costumes from many of my favorite shows, (BBT, PLL, Smallville, ONE TREE HILL!, Will Ferrell movies, etc) Upstairs was ….HARRY POTTER! It was like going to the museum in London. I couldn’t believe how many they had. I got “sorted”-hufflepuff? whatever. SO COOL!!!!!

Then we went back and later saw Lincoln. Liked it. Went to Marie Callenders for dinner.

Saturday-we moved in 9 am. signed a bunch of papers etc. Met my roommates and then we toured LAFSC. It is in a skyscraper on the 16th floor. It is very well decorated, has some editing labs, a lounge and a huge movie library as well as a theatre-style classroom. At 5 we met with Park La Brea and at 6 we had dinner. We sat alphabetically. It was nice to talk to new people. The food was really good. Then we went around and each said school, grade, major, fav movie (Pleasantville for me!) and funny story that happened on the way here (ryan gosling!). Then we went back to the apartment and watched Pitch Perfect.

Yesterday we were up and had breakfast at LAFSC. We had our pics taken and then we went to lunch at the Grove/Farmers market and visited the 99 cents store. Then we went over at 5 (no dinner 😦 and we listened for 3 hours to lots from Sarah our RD, who is very funny. I wanted to stay and watch the Golden Globes but they kicked us out 😦 I watched them eventually-hilarious!

Today we went and listened to one of our teachers and 2 speakers. They were from the Hollywood Prayer Network. Random but I realized I actually owned the book they wrote, How to talk about Jesus without freaking out, at home! random! They showed video clips and said that LA is a huge mission field but gave tips for actually making a difference. It had a huge affect and was very inspiring. Then we had the rest of the day off, we went to Ralphs grocery store and Target then I had to read a screenplay!

Ok so I’ve been meaning to write this but the wifi at our hotel is very slow. So I will sum up my week quickly as I am tired.

We left last week and traveled south to Kansas, then through Oklahoma, stopping in Winslow AZ and then stayed in Kingman AZ before heading to LA. We traveled in our car I read 4 (4!) books, including 1 on tape, The California Roll. Winslow was probably my favorite hotel, we stayed at La Posada hotel, which has had many famous people stay, including presidents, Shirley Temple and more (http://www.laposada.org/hotel_history_guests.html)

Then we stopped at The Grand Canyon!!! I was so pumped as I had never been there before. It was breathtaking! We watched the Imax movie and then traveled to all the different points. A lady had the same camera as me and asked me for tips ah! I felt like a pro (totally not)

We made it to LA on Monday. We checked into our hotel, thePark Plaza Lodge right across from where I will be living, Park La Brea. Day 1 was a little overwhelming. We drove through crazy traffic and insane drivers, and then we took a walk around. We headed over to the Grove (amazing outdoor mall, it’s like the mall of america mixed with Disneyland outside) and saw Extra being filmed with Mario Lopez, Snooki and JWOW. Then we headed over to the touristy area in Hollywood. We walked by the handprints and walk of fame, and realized that the Grauman’s theatre was turned into the premiere of Gangster Squad (more about that later) and then my dad got stopped by Jimmy Kimmel’s crew and was interviewed. It ended up not being on but I got pics. Then we headed over to MadameTussaud’s Wax Museum and hammed it up with the famous people. Then we went to dinner at this cute Disney-themed restaurant and then stood with throngs of people waiting for the Gangster Squad. The black cars would come up and people would get out and we all went crazy. Then Ryan Gosling actually came over to sign stuff which shocked meand everyone went insane. I felt like a paparazzi pushing and shoving. Then we left (since it was across the street and I didn’t know what color hair Emma Stone had, I assumed I had gotten a pic of her then later found out it wasn’t)

Tuesday morning we went to breakfast at the cafe next door.Then we walked around and went to Whole Foods and Kmart and such. We toured Park La Brea where I will be living and it was so cool! It has an outdoor pool, movie theatre and other stuff. Then we went to the La Brea Tar Pits (it was a free day) and looked at all the cool fossils. Then we drove to the beach in Santa Monica. It was my brother’s birthday so we called him. Then we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant. Then we went to our family friend’s brothers house to meet someone in the area.

Today we went shopping again and then we went to the Jeopardytaping. It was so cool-they filmed at Sony Studios and film 5 episodes in 1 day and we got to see two.

We rushed about 45 min to WB studios to go to the Mike and Molly taping but they were full so we got 2 VIP tickets for another taping so hopefully I’m goingto go to Big Bang Theory sometime! Then we went to the Grove and watched Silver Linings Playbook-so good!

You may be wondering why I named this blog “Tar”. I found out that “La Brea” means Tar in spanish. Park La Brea is the apartment I will be living in. Tar is a powerful way of taking one down, especially Ice Age Animals who got stuck and eventually starved to death. Part of me feels like this city has a darkness, people are stuck and many are homeless and actually starving. I hope that the suffering of many of the people will not drag me down and that God is looking over this place, that is so different from Minnesota. I just felt the word was fitting.

So yeah I may have borrowed the title from my recent viewing of Les Miserables (probs will discuss that at a different time) but I have one day more! until I head out on my 4 day trek to LA with my dad!

Anyways just wanted to post some exciting news! My dad got us tickets to see tapings of Jeopardy (which I watch on a regular basis) and Mike and Molly (never seen but I love Melissa Mccarthy!) and possibly Jimmy Kimmel (so cool! Love that show so much!)

Right now as I study for finals, I decided I wanted to start my blog. I had a blog this summer as I was a photographer at camp. This however was an epic fail (http://jennacampwapo.wordpress.com/), as I did daily posts for 2 weeks then completely stopped. So I will try a more realistic approach as I will try to do at least weekly updates. I am leaving for LA in less than a month! So right now after I leave school, will begin packing and planning for the trip.

Here is a list of things I want to do as a tourist that I hope to accomplish when I am there in my freetime!